Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-07-01
ROMANCE OF MARY HARRIS.
How Judge Bradley Defended and Mar
ried the EmotionnI Murderess.

Joseph Ii. Bradley of this city, recalls the
celebrated case which was the central TACT
of his career and which obtained a national
renown. Judge Bradley was well
stricken in years, says ashlngton
writer. He was the oldest member OF the
bar in the district of Columbia and gen.
tleman of excellent repute and high stand
ing in the community. His ability as an
advocate which always ranked well, was
put to a hard test and did not prove lack
ing, in the case to which allusion has been
made and with the details of which the
country was ringing twcniy-thrcc years
ago. Along during the war there was
Young unmarried man named Burroughs
in the employ of the Government here.
He was clerk in The Treasury Depart
ment, and was engaged 10 he married 10
Kentucky Girl named Mary Harris. Bur
roughs himself was Kcntuckian also. |
believe. but | am not sure rs TO this point.
They had been engaged for long time.
and it had been understood between them
that as soon as possible after he had gained
his expected clerkship az Washington, and
bad cot settled and little ahead imam
cially, he would notify her, and the mar
riage would then take place. Burrows got
his position, and kept II "a long while but
the stipulated notification was not forth.
coming. Months elapsed, perhaps
years, but he seemed not to bc able to get
''scttlcd' enough 10 marry-at any rate the
Kentucky Girl heard no news of the desired
tenor, although they correspouded con-
stantly, as betrOthcd lovers, and his letters
as we'll as hers, were all that a lover could
wish them to be.
But, though Burrows apparently had so
much trouble in getting things ready Tor
his marriage with Mary Harris, he had
found ii easier to manage in the case OF
another fair damsel whom he had met in
this city and in the light of whose smiles
he had allowed the vision of his faithful
Kentucky Girl to fade and vanish away
Ia other words he changed his mind and
proved tickle to Mary, and that. too, with
out informing her of the fact, either
directly or indirectly; and lis marriage to
the other lady was al last appointed fOr a
certain day IN 1861.
But in an evil hour for him Mary Har
ris in some way received information OF
the per4dy of Burrows and of the date Of
his proposed nuptials--thc time then
being near at hand She did not collapse
or spend any time in lamcntatiOn or con-
ferenCcs with her kindred and friends As
soon rs she heard the news she started di-
rcctly for Washington, just as she was.
She did not change her dress, nor did she
stop to pack up Without any baggage
or change of apparel she went at once
from her home to the railway station, only
stopping on the road TO buy p ,ol, and
took the first train eastward. Upon her
arrival in this city She went 10 no hotel or
restaurant; but, without any dallying and
at the same time without any pcrcepuble
excitement in her manner proceeded
straight TO the Treasury building walked
q la of It4 gf1f lfr A.
10 the right corridor, sent word into Bur
rows room that some one wished to see
him outside the door, and when he
responded in person, after exchanging
few sentences with him and learning from
him that the news was true, she quietly
drew her pistol and shot him dead, almost
on the very eve Of his wedding day.
She then turned on her heel and walked
of in buSuc,s-likc way, but made no
effort TO escape ana was of course soon
arrested. The tragedy and the unusual
circumstances attending ii made pro-
found impression on the public far and
near. The trial was highly sensational
aud attracted spectators from I'll parts of
the country. Mary Harris counsel was
Judge Brady, and although the evidence
was strongly against hcrand the sentiment
OF the public, which might have been on
1t all, was also rather agains, her, the Judge
brought her through triumphantly ON the
theory that though perfectly sane before
and after the occurrence. She was I that
time suffering from u temporary attack Of
emotional insanity FMS was the first
instance Of precisely this line OF defense
and the phrase became Il byWOrd every
where Notwithstanding Tho popular in
credulity as TO the eAisiancc OF such "a
thing as momcniary emotional insanity
and notwithstanding its apparent weak
ness as plea, it was successful in this
case and was subsequently applied with
frequency and success in similar cases. the
case of Laura d. Fair. who killed cx-
Senator Critiendcn in California, being
perhaps the most conspicuous one.
But Mary Harris did not got Off scot
free Immediately. She was udiudged in
nocent OF murder. bat still insane, and ac-
cordiugly she was sentenced 10 conhne-
mcnt IN ~. Eiizabcth's Asylum in -
city. The scene at her acquittal was q
most extraordinary one. There was
great hubbub, in the midst OF which
Judge Bradley kissed his fair client and
exclaimed that She was noble woman,
and that if there were more like her there
would be fewer scamps in the world
which proposition would seem to be un-
ucnldbly true.
Miss Harris was subjected to nominal
confinement in the asylum for many
years, although in reality She was under
no constraint. She could come and 90
when she liked, and If she had chosen 10
she could have escaped at my time. In
fact, she often passed whole months away
from the asylum, at the Virginia Springs
or other Summer resorts. Almost every
body felt sure that she was not in the
least insane.
The sequel may not bc known TO many.
but IL is one Of the most striking parts of
the story. After some years Judge Brad
ley got Mary Harris legally discharged
from the asylum as restored 10 sanity and
then hc married her And to-day the
heroine OF the tragedy OF 1864 is bending
tcarfully over the doalh-bcd Of the faith
ful man who saved her life then and has
been devoted 10 it ever since.
rIIzAnETH STUART PiTELP, has had for
n loi lime a woman suffrage novel in